Coaching Smarter Triathletes

Analyzing Race Performance

So you've just finished a race.  Once you're finished panting, guzzling water, and receiving congratulatory hugs (okay, sometimes before), you probably check your finishing time.  And once the results are posted, you start comparing your time to others in your age group and gender group.  And probably in the overall standings.  If you've raced the course before, you probably compare that time to this most recent time.  And you might have even had a goal time that your were trying to reach. 

Making all of these comparisons might even influence your mood and attitude (for better or worse) about how your race went.  But how objective are these comparison?  Generally, not very.  For a number of reasons they don't give you good information about how well you raced that day compared to other races in your season, or even compared to the same race in previous years. 

If you're competing for an overall podium spot, or for an age-group podium spot in a big races, that's likely a goal in it's self, and no other comparison is needed.  But for the vast majority of the rest of us, here are some things to consider.

Race Courses Can Vary From Year To Year

• Swim length. Marking an open-water swim course is not an exact measurement.  Even a 5% error over 1500 meters will make a 75 meter difference.  A 5% error is the equivalent of being off by half an inch per foot--which may be a lot when using a ruler, but not much when trying to measure long distances over water.  So swim distance alone could easily account for a minutes difference from year to year.
• Bike and run length.  Even in long-standing races the bike and run courses have minor variations in a given year.  Construction, a new bike lane, etc., can cause small detours that might change the length by a minute or two.

The Siren Song of Longer Distances

Remember your first triathlon?  It was probably a sprint distance, and on finishing you probably felt a mix of elation, exhaustion, satisfaction, and relief.  And before the congratulations were even finished, someone had asked you, "So when are you going to do an Ironman?"

Huh?

It happened to me, and it planted a seed in my brain.  Even though I had never run further than four miles at once.  And even though I had no idea why I wanted to do an Ironman, it seemed like a great idea.

It's undeniable that many triathletes see iron-distance races (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run) as the pinnacle of the triathlon world.  They see it as a badge of honour that separates ironman finishers from the rest of world.  And if you hang out with other triathletes, you'll experience that peer pressure to "join the club."

Why the Focus on Longer Distances?
The "glory" of iron-distance races likely comes from the early days of the Hawaii Ironman in the late 1970s through 1980s.  It was a race that seemed to defy the possible and that left the world wondering who these crazed and tough-as-nails men and women were. 

Now that tens of thousands of ordinary mortals have completed an iron-distance race, and now that sprint-distance races are the largest growing segment of the sport, the "tough guy" image of triathlon is starting to fade.  But still, if you ask  non-triathletes about the sport, they're likely to think of Kona.

But All the Best Athletes Race Long Distances, Don't They?
It's funny, this notion that long distance is inherently correlated to better fitness and greater toughness.  No one thinks that an Olympic track & field sprinter is less an athlete than a world class marathoner.  And did you even know there's a 10k Olympic event in swimming?  If so, do you think less of Michael Phelps because he excels at 100 meters?  Of course, our most famous cyclist, Lance Armstrong, reinforces the connection between long-distance and greatness.  But he most certainly wouldn't do very well racing a mile in the velodrome.

Is Aero Gear Worth the Cost?

It's easy to be lured into the idea of riding faster by spending money on "fast" cycling gear.  There are three ways to ride faster:

1. Develop a stronger "engine" (basically, your muscles and your lungs).
2. Make yourself and your bike lighter (this is most beneficial on hills).
3. Make yourself and your bike more aerodynamic.  This is most beneficial on the flats, when speeds are over 18 mph.

This post focuses on aerodynamics; the time saved versus the cost of the gear. 

Why is Aero Important?
On a flat course, at speeds between 20 and 25 mph, 75% to 80% of your power goes toward overcoming air resistance (5% is for mechanical resistance (bearings, chain, etc.) and the rest is the friction of your tires against the road).  The more slippery you and your bike are, the faster you'll go.  Of this aerodynamic drag, approximately 2/3 comes from you (your position on the bike and what you're wearing) and 1/3 comes from the bike itself. Of the drag that comes from you, almost all of it is related to your position on the bike.  A small amount comes from your clothing.

Standard Aero Gear and Costs
Triathletes seem to go through a standard procession of buying aero gear:

• Adding clip-on aero bars and forward seat post to a road bike.  $150-$250, plus $100 - $200 for a professional to set them up so you fit properly.
• Time Trial bike $2,000 - $5,000
• Aero helmet $75 - $150
• Disc and tri-spoke wheelset $1500 - $2500

Inconsistent Pace When Running Intervals

Mile and mile-and-a-half intervals are one of the must-do workouts in the last couple of months leading up to big races.  Most of us have a love/hate relationship with them.  We love the adrenaline and endorphins while running, and that giddy feeling of accomplishment when done.  But they hurt--lactic acid buildup in the quads, heart rate in zones 4 and 5, and hard, deep breathing.  Plus the mental stress of meeting your target pace.

It's easy to have unrealistic expectations about your target pace from week to week.  Usually we set our goal pace based on the best set that we've run in the past 6 months, or maybe our splits from a recent (or not so recent) 5k race.  But there are many variables that can influence your intervals pace--sometimes even by as much as 20 to 40 seconds per mile.

• How fresh are your legs?  If on the previous day you did intervals on the bike, or did a long brick, you'll be slower than you anticipate. 
• What's the course made of?  Doing intervals on the same track is the best way to test consistency.  But it's boorrr-ing.  For more variety, measure out a course on a quiet road, through the park, or on the beach.  But recognize that theses surfaces are generally slower than a track.  Dirt is slower than asphalt, grass and hard beach sand are slower than dirt.  Even different types of tracks are different speeds.
• Is the course completely flat?  If you're not on a track, even a barely perceptible grade can slow you down or speed you up.
• Is there a wind?  Even a moderate crosswind can make a big difference in pace.  A couple of weeks ago I ran intervals back and forth on a straight road during a huge windstorm--so I alternated between a strong headwind and a strong tailwind.  My mile pace was a full 50 seconds different!
• Is the course exactly a mile?  If you're marking your own course, how exact is it?  It takes 4 seconds to run 50 feet--and that's only a 1% measuring error.  I have a gps (Garmin 305) to free myself from the tedium of the track--and the margin of error of that is similar.
• What's the air temperature?  Did you sleep well last night?  Are you hydrated?  The list goes on and on...

In short, don't stress about week-to-week pace inconsistencies!  Remember, the point of these workouts is to train your body and mind to be more comfortable at race pace. 

Yes, your splits should be consistent within a given workout.  But otherwise you're mainly getting accustomed to that feeling of discomfort that comes late in the race.  Learn what it feels like in your legs and your breathing, and eventually you'll be able to dispense with the watch altogether!